November ballot shaping up

MANSFIELD – Voters in most areas of Richland County are likely to find tax issues or questions on the November ballot this fall.

The deadline for turning in papers needed to place tax issues before voters is 4 p.m. Aug. 6.

Deputy Elections Director Bill Freytag said the board of elections already has received close to the average number of issues petitions, but expects to hear from additional subdivisions by that deadline.

“There’s a couple supposed to be coming in from Monroe Township. That doesn’t mean we won’t hear from more,” he said.

The tax issue affecting the largest number of voters in the county will be Pioneer Joint Vocational School, which is seeking replacement of an existing 1.7-mill continuing levy for current expenses.

Pioneer serves high school students from Shelby, Crestview, Lexington, Lucas, Ontario and the Plymouth-Shiloh districts in Richland County — along with those from Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Galion, Northmor, Willard and Wynford school districts in neighboring counties.

The Lucas school district will ask voters to approve a 12.9-mill, five-year levy for emergency requirements.

Some Richland County voters near the Crawford County line will find the Crestline Exempted Village School District’s request for a continuing 0.75 percent income tax levy for current expenses on the ballot.